Unusual Units on Exit distances

[michravera]

In California (and most of the US as far as I can tell), it is normal to list distances to exits in quarter miles.
I am looking for exit distances in either tenth miles or in feet.

California often puts a precise distance in feet to a restricted clearance (Less than 5 m or 16'6", if I am right), but I am not talking about these.

There is a sign that lists the distance to an exit from Northbound US-101 to Northbound I-880 in San Jose as 800 ft.
What does the Manual say about this?

I haven't been abroad (even to Canada) in a while, do they normally use only whole km and hundreds of meters? Are there exceptions such as the one I gave above?

[Bitmapped]

PennDOT sometimes uses 1/8-mile increments.

[michravera]

PennDOT sometimes uses 1/8-mile increments.

Eighths would seem like a reasonable practice (although I haven't seen it). Miles are meant to be divided into eighths.
I am really looking for feet or tenths or meters not a multiple of 100.

Does PennDOT only do eighths with closely spaced exits or anytime when it would be reasonable and accurate (like less than 5 miles)?

CalTrans seems to stop using fractions at about 11 miles (but I have seen 10-1/2).

[SignGeek101]

There is this I have that can be considered a bit odd. Why distances are even on this sign is beyond me:


Dunmore Rd Northbound approaching Trans-Canada 1 on-ramp by Sign Geek, on Flickr

[michravera]

There is this I have that can be considered a bit odd. Why distances are even on this sign is beyond me:


Dunmore Rd Northbound approaching Trans-Canada 1 on-ramp by Sign Geek, on Flickr

They probably said "800 ft" and "400 ft", respectively back in the dark ages and were just updated.

[SignGeek101]

There is this I have that can be considered a bit odd. Why distances are even on this sign is beyond me:


Dunmore Rd Northbound approaching Trans-Canada 1 on-ramp by Sign Geek, on Flickr

They probably said "800 ft" and "400 ft", respectively back in the dark ages and were just updated.

Nope, the interchange is only a few years old. I didn't check whether or not they convert nicely into imperial units though.

[CtrlAltDel]

There's this not exactly standard sign on IL-83 in Westmont IL:

[sparker]

In the early days of CA freeways (at least until about 1959 or so), when BGS's were in fact BBS's (Big Black Sign), many of the distances on exit lists (like today, either raised in the median or at the side of the lanes) were expressed in tenths of a mile, with the portion normally after the decimal point expressed in slightly smaller numbers with a white line under them.   I recall seeing a number of them on the Ventura/US 101 Freeway shortly after it opened through the San Fernando Valley (at least west as far as Calabasas) back about 1959; some of these black signs made it into the late '60's; IIRC, all were replaced by conventional green signage with half/quarter fractional distance indicators by the early to mid '70's.  Another batch was farther west on US 101 around Camarillo; that signage stuck around longer than that in L.A. County.  There should be several pictures of this sort of sign in CH&PW annals, as they were common in their time although most were short-lived, replaced when green signage became the MUTCD standard.   

[citrus]

First thing that came to mind: "900 feet" in Providence. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7963836,-71.4052651,3a,75y,75.46h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOFb1qkQgPAQ5PVPqIsFi9Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This is a fairly new sign; the old one was in feet too, though I swear it was 800 feet.

[roadman]

First thing that came to mind: "900 feet" in Providence. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7963836,-71.4052651,3a,75y,75.46h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOFb1qkQgPAQ5PVPqIsFi9Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This is a fairly new sign; the old one was in feet too, though I swear it was 800 feet.

StreetView from 2008 shows the old button copy sign - it also reads 900 feet.

[MASTERNC]

PennDOT sometimes uses 1/8-mile increments.

And 1/10 mile increments in the Philly area

[CrystalWalrein]

500 foot declarations on the BGS are rife on the Atlantic City Expressway Connector.

[kphoger]

Anything out there that compares to the unusually specific 260 & 140 meters?

I mean, the great majority of these "unusual" distances can be expressed in a common fraction.  But ¹³/₅₀ km and ⁷/₅₀ km seem to be in a league all their own.

[paulthemapguy]

Found this oddity in Pensacola:


IMG_7114 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[admtrap]

Well here's a couple unusual ones I've come across on a somewhat regular basis.

I-5 northbound near the Kern/LA County line
https://goo.gl/maps/4GTxMVsmr6P2

"Rest Area 2/3 Mile"


CA-99 Southbound just before Fresno Street exit

https://goo.gl/maps/8TZJFMaWKGC2

"Fresno St  1/8 (mile)"

[Pink Jazz]

There's this not exactly standard sign on IL-83 in Westmont IL:

1/3 isn't all that rare; I have seen it occasionally in a few places.

[Rothman]

There's this not exactly standard sign on IL-83 in Westmont IL:

1/3 isn't all that rare; I have seen it occasionally in a few places.

He may be referring to the EXIT ONLY not being overhead.

*drives through sign*